Win The War: Consanguinity
by Luna Carmesi
Summary: Petunia finds Harry's adoption papers. She can finally get rid of him, but where will he live?
1. Prologue

**Win The War: Consanguinity**

**Autor: Sevie**

**Beta: JAWorley0**

**_ I'd like to thank _****JAWorley** and Justusi for making this story readable ;)**  
**

**Prologue **

_**Morning at the Dursley's**_

_Thursday, May eighteenth 1995_

It was a regular morning at Privet Drive, a day like every other day, because there was no difference between mornings in this place. As usual Petunia Dursley woke up early to make breakfast for her family. She was a women who was pleased with her life, and she found fulfillment both as a mother and as a wife.

Her husband Vernon loved her and took care that she would never run out of anything. He gave her support at the difficult moments in her life. Petunia thought that her fifteen years old son Dudley was a very special boy. In the whole neighborhood there wasn't such young man who could be compare to him. According to her, he had so much appeal and personal charm... he was incredibly handsome, friendly, and charming: a carbon copy of his father. People took to him like flies to honey, and he achieved only successes in his life. It made her smile just to think that after barely one year of boxing, that Dudley had achieved a gold medal. She was also proud that her boy had a flair for business. He has started some school project recently which has already brought profits. Believing that young business men should be supported, they'd given Dudley the amount of money his school project had earned as a reward and incentive.

Everything would be perfect, the keyword being would. Her husband, her son her life... it was all there. There was something however that was amiss in Petunia Dursley's life. A nasty little secret that weighed down on her every minute of every day: Potter. He was a freak just like his mother and that devil boy she had brought home. As far as Petunia was concerned, he was nothing more than vermin, and she wished he had the common decency to know when he wasn't wanted, and not to come home for the holidays.

Preparation of breakfast for her men took only forty-five minutes. She set the table and in the middle, she put a bouquet of flowers which she had received from Vernon just yesterday.

"Diddy Duddydums! Wake up, my dearest darling!"

Dudley heard her walking back to the kitchen. He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a pile of cream rolls and a large chocolate cake, and his friends continually dumped more into his desert pile. Dudley knew these punks. After all, he'd collected money from them everyday so they could breathe without fear (of others) in his school beating them to a pulp. After all... everybody knew that he had won the boxing championship; it had only served him another advantage. Admittedly he had only won the match by default, because his opponent had mysteriously fallen ill just before the competition, but Dudley didn't care about details. The medal was hanging on his wall wasn't it? That was enough for him.

After a moment, Petunia came back to his door.

"Duddy, are you up, yet? Your breakfast is ready."

"Almost." Breakfast was the only thing that was able pull him out of bed.

After breakfast, Vernon Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked his wife on the cheek, and ruffled Dudley's hair on the way out the door. Petunia watched happily as she was packing lunch with extra vitamins for Dudley. She had to make sure her Diddy Duddykins was healthy after all!

* * *

At a few minutes past seven, finally home alone, Petunia cleaned the kitchen thoroughly and sat by the window, where she had perfect view of the street. While reading a newspaper, she contemplated, what the celebrities must have been thinking; Niguel Pitt and his room mate (Petunia didn't approve such relationships) had adopted more children - triplets from Kongo. She almost pitied these people. Something had to be seriously wrong with every child they already had if they are looking for new ones all the time. Her's was perfect, and she would never look for another. Wondering about it, she looked out through the window, and noticed that Gabi Milton was taking a walk. The girl was wearing only miniskirt and a tight top. She had been going with Dudley in primary school, but the way she was dressing now...

_'She's probably going to sleep around with that Macary from number 15.'_ - Petunia thought indignantly. - '_To think, that her mother let her do such things, let alone dress that way!'_

Yesterday, Petunia had heard from Olivia Poskett, that Martha Perren saw, that Gabi had bought wine in town. And then Petunia could only assume that she'd gone to that boy after dark since his parents were away on business.

Petunia drank her cup of strong, black coffee and decided to do something. For the next couple of hours, nothing interesting should be happening, she thought. It had been a long time since the attic had been given a deep cleaning, so he decided to start her day there. She should consign old pieces of junk she thought. Or, it would be better if she give them away to the church... the neighbors would notice, and they would admire her generosity. Content with this prospect Petunia climbed the stairs.

After two hours, and after sorting through a lot of unnecessary books and old clothes, there was only one box remaining. Inside she found an old journal, and curious, she opened it only to scoff. It was Lily's, that blasted sister of hers. '_Of course, the whole day would spoiled by the very thought about her!'_

She was about to close and burn it, when out from the cover fell a piece of worn parchment. It was the... Birth Certificate of Harry James Potter! Her eyes went wide with astonishment. '_Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad day after all_.'


	2. Chapter 1: Surprise

**Thanks to JAWorley for betareading :) And for justusia7850  
**

**Chapter 1**

_**Surprise**_

"Fred, come here a moment."

Fred tugged on George's sleeve and followed Harry back into an empty train compartment as the throng of students exited around them.

"Bit suspicious," George said jokingly as he closed the door. "Do you think he intends on making us return to Hogwarts for the summer?"

Fred laughed at his brother's joke, but turned serious when he saw Harry holding out what looked like a full money pouch.

"Here, take it," Harry said. "Don't say where it came from."

"That looks an awful lot like your winnings Harry," George said, staring at the pouch. "You might not want to tempt us two jokesters with that."

"It's yours, go on."

"We can't take that Harry! You're the one that won the tournament."

"And you might have if you'd been allowed to enter. I'm telling you to take it. I don't want it. Go and start your business with it, and while I'm thinking of it, buy your brother some dress robes so he doesn't smell like mothballs next time he needs it."

"Harry, this is a lot of money."

"Yes and I'm giving it to you. You can take it or I'll toss it out the window into the crowd."

Fred reached out and took the money bag then, not daring to peer inside and believe his luck.

"You're sure about this?"

"Positive."

Then, as an afterthought, Harry withdrew a second, much lighter pouch and held it out to the twins. "Would you be able to exchange this for Muggle money and send it to me by owl?" he asked. Still looking a little shocked, George nodded and Harry hastily left the compartment before they could say another word.

Beyond the barrier to the magical platform, Uncle Vernon waited with an irritated look on his face, perhaps because Mrs. Weasley was hovering close by. When Harry got near, she hugged him tightly and pulled him close to whisper into his ear, "Dumbledore may let you stay with us later in the summer. Write and let us know how you're doing dear."

Harry nodded, but didn't say anything as Ron approached saying, "See you Harry," as he clapped him on the back.

"Bye, Harry!" Feeling overwhelmed suddenly, Harry turned to find Hermione, and turned red as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, something that hadn't happened before.

Taking a few steps back, Harry nearly bumped into George, who leaned in and said, "Harry… thanks, and we'll try to send it to you as soon as possible.

"What are you going to send?" asked Mrs. Weasley curiously, who had stepped closer to hear what George had muttered.

"Goodies for Hedwig," Harry said quickly with a wink at the twins, and then he turned to Uncle Vernon and followed him silently from the station.

xxx

With a lot of effort the skinny teenager put his trunk in the car's boot outside King's Cross Station.

"Don't dawdle! Get in boy! I don't have time for this rubbish!" shouted Uncle Vernon sitting behind the wheel.

"'m sorry" Harry answered mindlessly.

Sweaty, and finally seated in the passenger seat, his uncle shoved a stiff piece of paper at him and snapped, "Here, read it!"

Harry's eyes began to scan down the page, but then Vernon growled, "Out loud boy," and Harry started again out loud.

"_**Birth Certificate**_

_Name: Harry James Potter._

_Birthday: 31st July, 1980_

_Birthplace: Guildford._

_Mother's name: Eileen Snape, nee Prince._

_Father's name: Tobias Jacob Snape._

_Adopted 31st July, 1980 by Lily Rose Potter, nee Evans and James Harold Potter._

_Guardians from 1st, Novmber 1981 to 13th June, 1995 Petunia Ivy Dursley, nee Evans and Vernon Marc Dursley._

_At the request of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Dursley since 13th June, 1995, custody of Harry James Potter is given to birth father of the child: Tobias Jacob Snape."_

By the time he'd finished, Harry had gone pale, and his voice was little more than a whisper.

"It's some kind of joke… you're lying!"

"No," Vernon said, gleeful. "Petunia did cleaning in the attic and found your birth certificate. She once lived near the Snape's. We went there and it turns out that your real mother is dead, but at least your father agreed to take you. We took care of formalities and we don't have to quarrel with you anymore," finished Vernon with nasty smile. "And to think that we could have gotten rid of you so many years earlier! "I just have to bring you to him."

Uncle Vernon had never allowed Harry to speak unless told to, so the journey was silent. The silence didn't annoy Harry since the overflow his emotions was causing him a headache. He was sure that it was some trick the Dursleys had devised to finally throw him out. After all, his resemblance to James and Lily was incontestable… everyone told him so.

As if the whole lie wasn't incredulous enough, it was harder still to believe that nobody knew about the supposed adoption. From what he could remember, a pregnancy lasted for almost a year didn't it? Unfortunately he wasn't sure because when it had been taught in primary school, he had often had to spend his time in his cupboard as punishment instead of doing homework, and his science textbook had been used as material for paper airplanes and then thrown into the rubbish bin. Even onlookers would know his mum was pregnant from the huge stomach. It seemed an impossibility for friends of his parents, such as Sirius and Lupin to not notice that Lily who hadn't been pregnant would just one day show up with a baby. They would have told him if he was adopted, wouldn't they?

As they drove closer to his supposed true father's house, Harry was surprised suddenly by a sorrowful feeling emanating from his stomach. His own family really did hate him, didn't they? He had known they weren't affectionate towards him, but deep inside he'd always wanted them to accept him. For most of his life he'd dreamt of being taken from that house. Sometimes he had been of the opinion that he would feel better in the orphanage, but all of this didn't change the fact that he was simply sorry.

At the moment, he couldn't do anything about it. When they got there, he would decide what to do next. For now, he could only pray, that this Snape didn't have anything in common with the Potions Master that despised him so heartily.

xxx

After driving for nearly two hours they reached Guildford. According to the piece of paper he was holding in his hand, it was his birth place. The surroundings were pretty. There were sprawling green parks beyond the windows of the car. Despite his poor eyesight, in the distance he saw colorful playgrounds and sandbox for children. At his left, there were beautiful houses, much nicer and some more modern than what the Dursleys lived in. Each of them showcased the high standard of life their occupants lived. They drove on however, and the surroundings grew dimmer. The houses grew uglier and less colorful, and even the park gave the impression that it was bleaker.

Uncle Vernon stopped the car by a gray, two story building. The windows were old, and from behind the glass there were dusty curtains.

"Well, boy! Get out of here and take your things with you!" Vernon ordered him with a smile of bliss on his face. Vernon hurried out of the car and went to the front door to ring the bell.

The door was opened by a tall broad-shouldered man with scruffy gray hair, black eyes and large nose. He was wearing a creased flannel shirt from under which, stuck out a yellowing undershirt. Harry groaned internally. There was no way he was related to _that_ Snape. _'It must be nightmare,' he thought._

"I brought the boy. That's all from me. And I wish not see either of you again!" laughed Vernon, not even glancing back at his nephew, who had now struggled to pull his trunk out of the rear of the car and finally succeeded. Vernon got into the car and left, leaving Harry standing on the side of the road staring after him. And despite that Harry was aware that his uncle had never liked him, the rejection hurt even more then when they were traveling. What had he really anticipated though? Certainty not a tearful and soggy goodbye.

"Hello, Harry. I'm Tobias." When the man spoke up with a low, hoarse voice, Harry could smell alcohol off him.

'_Not a good sign, thought Harry'_, but as Tobias looked calm and relaxed, it didn't bother him much. He was used to reading body language, and currently he didn't feel threatened.

"Good morning," Harry said tentatively.

"Come along, I'll show you over, and then you're gonna unpack your things in your room."

The man turned around and went into the house, Harry following after him with Hedwig in her cage in one hand, and dragging his trunk with the other. They found themselves in rather cramped, dark hall, where Harry left his baggage. Directly opposite of him was a staircase leading to the second floor, and to the was a door probably leading to the basement.

"There's the loo," His hypothetical father said as he pointed the door at his right.

Between the staircase and loo was access to the kitchen, and it was necessary to walk through it to get to the living room. In the middle of the kitchen stood a table covered with a white and red checker tablecloth, and around it were four chairs. Three of them had thin pillows on the seat but they looked as if they hadn't been laundered for a long time. The last chair was empty, but there was piece of red tape knotted over the backrest, which told Harry that it wasn't always like that.

To the right, under the windows there were cupboards a brown cooker, a fridge and a sink. Everything was equally battered and haven't been replaced or seen any repair at least for a dozen years. An annoying buzzing came from the low, yellow fridge, which had a lot of colorful beer magnets stuck to it.

When Harry glanced to his right, he cringed. There was a door to a cupboard under the stairs. Thankfully they didn't stop there however, and they continued on into the living room, which just like the rest of house, could be described as dirty and unkempt. On the left side of entrance there was an old wooden Welsh dresser, and on the right side, just under the window there was a telly, possibly the only thing in the entire house that didn't look like it would remember World War Two. A muddy couch and two armchairs were standing like a half circle with a coffee table in between. On the wall across from kitchen, there was a door that lead to a small, bushy garden.

Afterwards, the man showed Harry the upstairs, which consisted of a narrow hall, two bedrooms and a small bathroom. His room was the same size as at the Dursleys. There was a bed, a wardrobe, a chest of drawers, a desk and a bookcase. Everything was old and shabby. The room was secondhand, just like he was used to growing up with the Dursleys.

"Are you hungry?" asked Tobias. "Of course, you are. You look like they were starving you in that school of yours. When you finish unpacking, come to the kitchen. I'll make a supper in the meantime." Not waiting for the response, he went down the stairs.

Harry followed after him once again to get his trunk, which was sill near the front door. With a lot of effort he dragged it upstairs and placed it between his bed and the desk and then returned for the cage with Hedwig and put it on top of the chest of drawers. He pulled his clothes from his trunk and untidily threw them into the wardrobe.

Throwing himself on the bed Harry started to think. Feeling drained, Harry wished he didn't feel bad about the Dursleys kicking him out. With the way they had treated him over the years, he didn't know why he was feeling bad. After all, he really didn't want to live with them and he was sure that anywhere would be better than at Privet Drive. He hoped that this man wasn't going to keep him in the cupboard without food as a punishment, let alone aiming at his head with frying pan, because in comparison to his aunt, Tobias was really very muscular. Provided he didn't miss, he could seriously injure Harry.

So far though, Tobias had welcomed him more than the Dursleys ever had, and at this moment was even making him supper. He didn't want to let his mind wander into darker thoughts of what life might be like here if Tobias were mean.

One more positive aspect of this situation was that he was going to start anew. Nobody knew him here. He didn't reckon that his assumed father would make everyone believe that he was going to St. Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys. Besides there wasn't Dudley, so he was able to make some friends. And of course the twins had promised to send him money. Either way he was going to buy himself some new clothing if he were allowed. If he had still been at the Dursleys he would have told them that Sirius had given him the new clothes, but here perhaps he wouldn't have to lie.

For the time being, there was only one flaw besides the state of the house - Severus Snape. Harry didn't even want to think that he could potentially be somehow related to the dungeon bat. Notwithstanding, he was going to get a chance to become a normal teenager and he was going to use it.

xxx

"Harry, supper's ready! You can finish unpacking later!" Harry's thoughts were broken by Tobias' voice. He got up and made his way to the kitchen.

"Sit down and eat, Harry." After Tobias gave him a plate with roast, they ate in awkward silence, neither of them feeling comfortable in presence of the other yet. One would think they would have an endless number of topics to discuss, not really knowing anything about the other, but neither of them knew how to start. After the meal, Tobias got up and negligently did the dishes then made the tea for Harry and sat in one of the chairs with a bottle of beer in hand.

"What should I call you?" asked Harry.

"For the time being, Tobias, until we got to know each other better."

"What do you do?"

"I'm a builder, so most of the day I won't be at home. You'll have to occupy yourself until five o'clock, because then you'll have training. I enrolled you in a football team. You'll start on Monday."

"Yeah? What's this team?" _Pity that you didn't ask me, I think I have something to say about it,_ Harry thought, angrily that once again somebody decided for him.

"The Mayor organized a competition. The Guildford Cup for teenagers." Tobias answered. "You know, different companies collect members of teams, usually they're worker's kids, and they sponsor the matches. Thanks for that, they get promotion and some benefits, and kids have fun. You have to try to be the best. I don't want to be ashamed of you. Sons of my pals are playing there too. I'll be coming to your matches."

Despite his irritation that Tobias had made the decision for him (without ever having met him really), Harry had to smile. It was nice to have an adult who cared enough to think of him, that he might have some fun, and Tobias, for now, gave that impression. How many times as a child had he dreamed that his aunt or uncle would give him this sort of attention? Vernon had always been at Dudley's every contest, but had never thought of Harry's interests.

"But I haven't played football for couple of years, and I don't know if I'm fit for it," hesitated Harry who liked more and more the prospect of living here.

"I'm sure you'll manage. After all, you are my son. You look like your mother, so you must have something of me."

"My mother?" wondered Harry. Everyone had told him repeatedly that he was carbon copy of James, so how was it possible that suddenly he looked like Eileen Snape? Something was very wrong in here, and he had to find out what was going on.

"Yes, after all, you don't look like the postman, although with her, we may never know. Nose, mouth, chin, and cheekbones you have after Eileen. Shape of eyes and eyelashes after me. She didn't tell me anything about you. Even that she was pregnant!" grunted an irritated Tobias.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know either," said Harry, despite that he still wasn't sure about any of this.

"It's not your fault, kid. Okay, go to Bed, I'm going to. I've got work in the morning."

"Night."

"Goodnight, Harry."

xxx

Harry entered his room and opened Hedwig's cage.

"Hey girl. Do you want to fly a little?" he murmured, letting her out.

Harry went to bed and rolled back and forth because he couldn't fall asleep. Today he had been overwhelmed with too much emotion, and besides that, too many questions still went without answers. Did he really look like Eileen Snape? Tobias seemed to be okay, Harry thought. So far he'd behaved nicely… much better than the Dursleys. He'd acted just like father should, hadn't he? And what about Professor Snape? Were they related? Had he known all the time and that's why he'd hated him so much? He had in fact continuously repeated to Harry that he was just like his father. Had he meant James or Tobias?


	3. Chapter 2: The Letters, part 1

_**I would like to thank Luck to beta this part of second chapter. I'm waiting for second part so it should be in few days.**_

_**Also, I'd like to apologise for my such funereal update.**_

**Chapter 2**

_**The Letters **_

_Saturday, July first 1995_

Harry was awakened up by a severe pain in his left shoulder blade. With his eyes still shut tightly, he sat up and rubbed the sore spot. The culprit turned out to be an errant bedspring, which had been poking him in the back all night. The mattress felt thinner than usual. Harry opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings. He wasn't in his dormitory at Hogwarts. Then without warning, the affairs from the day before suddenly came back to him with startling clarity.

"Why does it always have to be me?" groaned Harry.

The bitterness that had welled up inside him due to the Dursley's scheming had not evaporated in the least. It still hurt to believe the Dursleys loathed him to such a degree that they would scheme something like that, just to get rid of him. The man, Tobias had also fallen victim to their plotting. Uncle Vernon had told him that Aunt Petunia had lived here during her childhood. Therefore, Harry was sure that she knew this man and for some unfathomable reason, she despised him. Harry wondered how the working-class man had managed to get under her skin. The birth certificate he had been shown didn't totally convince him of what they had told him. Harry was very aware that his uncle had connections to people in high places and it would not take much to forge a birth certificate.

Harry also wondered if Tobias knew he was a wizard. The man didn't mention anything when he saw Hedwig, which was rather untypical pet. Perhaps the Dursleys, despite their revulsion of the subject had told him about magic. Still, if the hook-nosed man was somehow related to his Potion Master, then he likely already knew about wizards. From what Harry was able to observe, Tobias was definitely Muggle. There were no books about magic, cauldrons, or spells in the house.

For the time being, he decided to be careful and refrain from mentioning he wasn't exactly normal. He didn't want to risk that he would be treated here like he had been at the Dursley's house. Harry wasn't going to try to tell the man he wasn't his son. He knew that keeping this knowledge wasn't fair to Tobias. However he didn't want to be homeless, or land in a care home, which thanks to Aunt Petunia stories, was horrifying to him. Harry knew Sirius wanted to take him, but that was not possible as long as he was a fugitive. It was too dangerous for him to live with the Weasleys. The Burrow would be a considered target without his presence because he was friends with Ron. Even Dumbledore warned them, as Mrs. Weasley had told him in the train station. Furthermore, Harry always wanted to know how it was like to have a father. At least he could pretend for a while, and hope Tobias wouldn't discover the truth too fast. He wanted to be treated like somebody's true son. And if the man continued to believe that Harry is his biological son, then he was going to let his dreams come true. He also hoped that his real parents would understand and wouldn't mind his deception too much.

It was really enticing prospective, at least for a moment, to live a life borrowed from someone else, someone who in reality didn't exist. Life as Tobias and Eileen Snape's son. He flinched a little, because it sounded like he was going to pretend to be the Potions Master, but it was impossible. Snape was too old to be their son. Even if Harry wasn't sure of their ages, he was confident that it was unrealistic. He knew that pretending to be someone else was a bad idea, but being a normal teenager who had an attentive father had always his dream. Of course, he also really longed for a mother, but one can't have everything.

After a couple of minutes, Harry went downstairs to the kitchen and noticed that Tobias was nowhere to be seen. Judging from the dirty plates dumped on the table, he'd already left for work. Harry washed the dishes and made tea, foregoing breakfast. When he felt especially nervous or stressed, he would become nauseated, unable to swallow the tiniest morsel. With a cup of tea in his hand, he went back to his room and decided to write a letter to his Godfather. He wanted to be sure that Sirius didn't know anything about the alleged adoption.

After the third task, when Harry had been the hospital wing, his godfather had promised him that they would see each other soon, but first he had to alert the 'old crowd.' Harry didn't know exactly who those were, but he remembered one name – Arabella Figg. It was the same last name as his neighbour from Little Whinging. He didn't like her very much. In any case, he was sure she wasn't fond of him either. She always had him look at pictures of her cats. Only one time she had pretended to be nice and she had given him stale chocolate cake. Maybe she wanted to poison him, because he had been up all night, racked with stomach pain.

Harry took out piece of parchment and quill from his trunk, and tried to figure out how to write exactly what he wanted to know.

_Dear Padfoot,_

_I hope that everything is all right with you. There have been many changes here. The Dursleys kicked me out for good. They devised some tale that I'm not related to them. I know that if you and Professor Lupin had known something about this, you would have told me, right? Don't worry, I'm fine. In fact I'm better than I was when I was there._

_Yours,_

_H._

He almost tied this letter to the Hedwig's leg, when he changed his mind. He didn't want to worry his Godfather. He was sure that after such a message, Sirius would begin to wonder about his whereabouts

Knowing his impetuous nature, he would probably make a rash decision to emerge from hiding just to see if everything was okay with Harry. Despite that the teenager did miss him; he didn't want to endanger him. He couldn't be selfish, so he ripped up the letter and tried once more from the beginning.

_Dear Padfoot,_

_I hope that everything all right and you are safe._

_I'd like to ask you, if you saw my mother before my birth and did look like she was about to give birth. The Dursleys mentioned that I'm not really related to them, but probably it is anoth… _

_He was about to write: another way to bully him, but he didn't want to whine and make himself out to be a victim. He noticed couple of times that Sirius had looked at him in strangely, when he was talking about the Dursleys. Not that Harry said anything significant, but once or twice he said something without thinking. He saw in Sirius' body language, that he had been getting angry. Not wanting to annoy him more, the teenage swiftly changed topic, and after a moment, the man relaxed, like he had completely forgot what Harry had been saying. _

_Harry erased the last sentence and wrote:_

_Of course it could be just empty words. _

_Greet Moony,_

_Best wishes,_

_H._

He hoped that it sounded natural enough and not disturbing. He tied the letter to the owl's leg.

"Hedwig, could you carry this to Sirius?" asked Harry, and the owl lightly pecked him on the finger in answer.

Afterwards, he decided to take a shower and go for a walk to explore his new surroundings. The day before Tobias had given him keys to the house. Harry felt this was a really nice surprise and sign of trust. In this little gesture the man had really made him feel welcome. Harry made a face, realizing that Privet Drive had never been his home.

There wasn't bathtub in the bathroom, just a shower, toilet, an old cabinet and washbasin. The bathroom had dark yellow, cracked tiles. It wasn't attractive, but it was tolerably clean. He was surprised, when he found on the shelf, a woman's flowery smelling shower soap. Was it possible that Tobias hadn't thrown it out after his wife died? In fact, Harry didn't really know how long she had been dead. Actually he knew completely nothing neither about Tobias nor his family, other than the fact he was somehow related to Harry's Potions Master. In any case, he hoped that their relationship wasn't good, and his teacher would never visit them or find out that Harry lived there.

After a quick shower, he put on his best clothes: almost undamaged trousers and t-shirt, which had once belonged to Fred. The redhead had misplaced the clothes somewhere in the Burrow, and when they were found in Charlie's room they were still in really good condition. They were too small for Ron, so Harry inherited them. Harry, of course, was thrilled, because his clothes were increasingly unpresentable. The clothes that he inherited from Dudley was from year to year bigger (his cousin grew twice as fast as he, both in widthways and high), so he was really grateful when Ron gave him clothes, which he outgrew. Despite that they also were rather worn, because redhead wasn't their first owner, they were had much better condition than things after Dudley.

Spinner's End was located between a river and a big, green park, which seclude the neighbourhood from the rest of town. It looked utterly like a slum. Houses were grey and unsightly. Children, who were running around the street reminded him of himself from when he was little – dirty, unkempt, in worn t-shirts and sweats, but as opposed to him, they were laughing and playing with each other. Had had never had any friends. On the playground that was located at the center of the park in one moment he could tell apart little habitants of Spinner's End from the others – the children from good homes: fashionable, colourful and clean dressed. One could also differentiate them from their behaviour. Some were playing completely carelessly, not knowing hunger or fear, and the others behaved like they would experience short moments of happiness, then came the grim reality. The view of the seemingly happy children playing distressed Harry a bit.

He sat at the farthest from playground swing set, which was located under huge, rank weeping willow and looked around. He noticed a couple of teenagers around his age passing by. He observed their style of clothes. He felt a little stupid inspecting them like that, but he wanted to know what stuff he should buy, after the twins sent him the money. He wanted to be able to blend in. Sitting alone, he was overcome him such emptiness like usually felt at Little Whinging.

After a while, he came back home, and decided to cook dinner. He wanted to make Tobias glad that he lived there. He was going to show him that he was useful. Perhaps the man would even like him a little as just Harry, not only because he thinks that they are related. The teenager wanted to show his best side. Maybe then… Maybe even if Tobias discovered the truth, he would decide to let him stay. Harry shook his head, not wanting to think about it.


End file.
